Humidifier for unit heaters



June 7, 1932.

E; C HANSON ET AL HUMIDIFIER FOR UNIT HEATERS Filed June 25, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 7 uvvz/v foes EDWARD c. HANSON JOEL SODERHOLM y? U,

' ATTORNEYS June 7, 1932. E. c. HANSON ET AL 1,362,184

7 HUMIDIFIER FOR UNIT HEATERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 23. 1930 /N VIE/Y T0125 50 WARD c. HA us on JOEL saucer/01.1w 014 624 M I ATTORNEYS Patented 1....-7, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT? OFFICE EDWARD c. unison AN'D JOELI-SODERHOLM, or m'rmmaroms, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOBS 'ro 0. :8. MCQLINTOGK GOMPANY, INCORPORATED, or MINNEAroLrs, MINNESOTA, A

' CORPORATION or mnmnsora HUMIDIFIER FOR UNIT HEATERS Application filed June 23, 1930. Serial No. 463,136.

This invention contemplates the provision of a humidifier for unit heaters and the like, the principal object being to provide a humidifier which may be readily attached to heaters now in use and which will function efliciently to moisten the heated air emanating from the heater to the proper degree.

' Another object of the invention is to pro- ,vide a humidifier with a moisture-carrylng 1 device of reticulated or open mesh character which supplies the required quantit of liquid for the operation of the humi 'fier, and which, by reason of its construction, .Wlll ofier noresistance to the passage of air therethrough. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a moisture-carrying device for humidifiers of a reticulated construction, the inter stices being sufliciently large to prevent the formation of a liquid film on the device and which will yet supply sufiicient liquid for the purposes of the humidifier.

Still another object of the invention is to .provide .a moisture-carrying device for humidifiers in the form of an endless reticulated fabric or-series of spiralsprings which maybe rotated at any desired speed in front of a heating element,-the fabric or springs being supplled with a quantity o-fliquid.

A further object is toprovide' a humidifier for heaters which may be associated with the heater at one side thereof while an air-circulating device is provided at the opposite side of, the heater to force air through the heater and the humidifier. i

' I Other objects of the invention and the advantages thereof will be more fully brought out as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated a preferred practical'embodiment of our invention and two modifications of the construction of the moisture-carrying. device. These drawings are. submitted by Way of example and it is to be understood that we are notlimited to the details of construction therein disclosed. It will be apparentto.

'0 without sacrificing any of its advantages andwithout departing from the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.'

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a humidifier constructed in accordance with our invention, certain parts being broken away and other parts shown in section for the purpose of clearness;

' Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken structure shown in Fig. 1, certain parts being broken away and other parts shown insection.

' Referring now to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 indicates a suitable casing within which is located a heater 11. This heater may be of any Well known and pre- I fe rred construction and may be heated by any desired heating agent, for example, hot water, steam, and the like. The heater is" of the so-called open type constr'uction which is tosay that it .is formed with spaces between adjacent sections of the heater.

At the rear of the casing we have provided a suitable air-circulating device in the form,

the frontof the casing 15 is open and is pro-- vided with a series of louvers or baflies 16 It is to be understood that the casing 15 and the humidifier parts located therein maybe supplied as a separate unit readily attachableto heaters'now in use.

Within the casing 15- we have provided rollers 17 and 18 suitably journaled in the side walls of the casing at,the top and bottom thereof, respectively. These rollers are provided with sprockets 19 and 20 about which is trained a sprocket chain 21. A shaft 7' stices.

22 of the upper roller 17 extends through the casing and is operably connected to a source of power, for example, an electric motor 23. This motor may be of any preferred construction and should be so designed as to rotate the roller 17 at a very slow rate of spiaed. For this purpose, speed. reducing means of any-character (not shown) may be associated with the motor.-

Each of the rollers 17 and 18 is provided with a plurality of grooves 24 in itsperiphery. A plurality of coil springs'25 are trained about the rollers and rest in the grooves 24. These springs should preferably be made of rust-proof material for example, bronze, or of other suitable material which is 'not subject to corrosion by reason of contact wlth moisture.-

tioned in such ainanner as to maintain the level of liquid in the casing practically constant. Further to assist inmaintaining the level of liquidconstant it will be seen that the inlet opening is considerably smaller than the outlet.

As before stated, the-moisture carrying-de d a casmg, rollers gournaled tliere1n',,grooves" I vices of the embodiment just described consist of a plurality of coil springs 25. These springs. are preferably so constructed that the space between convolutions is relatively large and at least so large as to prevent the formation of a film of liquid between adjacent con: volutions. Such a spring when stretched to the proper degree around thetwo rollers 17 and 18 presents what, in fact, may be termed a reticulated structure. That is to say, the

spiral formation of the spring produces, when it is stretched, a series of interconnected narrow elements separated by diagonal inter- In operation, the rollers 17 and 18 are rotated at a very slow rate of speed, and thus,

the coil springs 25 are caused to be immersed air through the heater and then through the humidifier.

It will be understood, of course, that the l1quid may be supplied to the'casing 15 from the water system of the heater 11 where the heater is of the hot water type. When the heater employs some other heating agent the water may be introduced into'the casing 15 r from any other suitable source.

It will be seen from the foregoing that we have provided a humidifier of simple construction which may be readily associated with heaters now in use and that the humidifier will operate efficiently to maintain any de sired degree of humidity. By providing a moisture-carrying device of reticulated character, we are enabled to supply to the humidifier any desired quantity of liquid, and yet-,-

the device will offer no resistance to the passage of air therethrough. Moreover, the 0peration ofthe humidifier is such as constant- A ly to present in the. path of the air current a portion of the moisture-carrying device which g has just emerged from the liquid supply.

We claim as our invention:

ing a casing, rollers journaled therein, and

a reticulated moisture-carrying device trained in the peripheries of said rollers, endless springs trained about said rollers and seated in said grooves, and means for supplying moisture to said springs.

1 A humidifier fgr unit heaters compris- I In witness whereof, we have hereunto set 18th day of June, 1930.

EDWARD C, HANSON. -JQEL ,SODERH'OLM.

our handsthis in the liquid in the bottom of the casing. As

rotation continues, the springs rise out of the liquid and carry with them a certain quantity of moisture. The direction of rotation will, preferably, be counter-clockwise, when the structure is viewed as in Fig. 4 so that the end' of the springs which comes out of the Thus, it will be seen that the heating eles ment 11 is positioned between the fan 12 and the humidifier so that the fan12 will force 

